Religious Services at St. John’s

On Sunday mornings Cadets attend a regular Episcopal Sunday service where they hear the proclamation of the Word, worship with contemporary and traditional music, pray together, and participate in Communion.

On Wednesday nights, Cadets gather together for a Service of Light. This is a shorter evening service that is led with contemporary acoustic worship music and concludes with the extinguishing of candles in a darkened chapel in order to create a solemn, peaceful mood at the end of the day.

The Services involve a high level of Cadet participation and there are opportunities for Cadets to be active in the following ways:

1) Chapel Council: The mission of the Chapel Council is to participate in and facilitate the corporate worship of God through the liturgical and ceremonial actions of the Chapel services. This is a group where Cadets can learn about and participate as acolytes in the liturgical worship of the Episcopal tradition. This is a voluntary ministry where the Cadets assist the chaplain in various duties around the Chapel and in worship. Some will function as ushers, altar servers, technology assistants or lesson readers. Those who work on the Chapel Council are awarded a ribbon and chord to wear on their uniform.

2) Chapel Choir: The mission of the Chapel Choir is to facilitate the corporate worship of God through traditional and contemporary praise music. The Chapel Choir (which includes the Praise Band) leads the music in the community worship services. The choir and praise band generally meet weekly for practice and perform at Mass on Sundays or Wednesday nights. Their leadership is vital to the religious community. They inspire and encourage the congregation through the worship services. In the Choir, Cadets can participate in the Sunday Choir or the Wednesday night Praise Band and utilize their gifts of singing, or playing acoustic guitar, bass guitar, drums, djembe, and keys among other instruments. Chapel Choir membership is voluntary, and their service is rewarded by a ribbon and chord to wear on their uniform.